The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-02
ABUSING WASHINGTON.


Against the Father os Iiis Country.
Gen. Washington was probably as
much abused as any president who has
ever acted AS the chief executive Of the
United States. At one time he said that
he had been abused worse than com
mon pickpocket. ami he was charged
with all sorts of crlmes during his adj
ministration, says the Cleveland Leader,
The Philadelphia Aurord was, perhaps.
the most bitter. When Washington left
the presidency II had a jubilant article
over the close of his term. In which it
said:
"lf ever there was period of rejoic-
ing this is the moment Every heart in
unision with the freedom and happiness
of the people ought TO bent high with
exultation that the name OF Washing
ton this day ceased to give currency
TO political lniquity aud To legaliZed
corruption. A new era is now open
ing upon us-an era which promises
much to the people; for public meas
ures must now stand upon their own
merits, and nefarious projects can no
longer be supported by name. IL il
subject OF the greatest astonishment
that single individual should have
carried his designs against the public
liberty SO far as TO have put in jeopardy
its very existence. Such. however. are
the facts. and with these staring us in
the face, this day ought to be a jubilee
in the United States.
John Randolph of Roanoke at din
ner once proposed the toast: George
Washington; may he be id" This,
however. was too strong for the com
pany. who were enemies of Washing
ton. and he had To add the proviso,
''lf he signs jays treaty. before they
would drink to IL
In 1875 "A Calm Observer in the New
York journal accused Washington of
being n thief. lie stated that he had
overdrawn his accounts aud that he
owed the treasury $l.037 Another
writer accused Washington Of hypo-
erisy and declared that ne wanted To be
a king. A third criticised his carriage
and his arstocracy. and in fact. all the
opposition newspapers denounced him
in unmeasured terms. Congress went
against him during his second term and
refused to celebrate his birthday,
though they had been accustomed to do
SO. aud when he refused 10 return for "A
third term they charged that he did so
because he feared that he could not be-
elected.
! Ii will be surprising to the people to-
/ day To know that Washington was
once charged with murder. Ii was dur
| ing one of his presidential campaigns.
| The Philadelphia Agr0rd made the
charge. IL stated that Washington had
during one of the battles of his early
| life. shot an officer who WAS bearing a
hag of truce. aud that in tile papers re-
/ lating 10 the affair he had acknow-
| lodged the act of assassination. Peter
/ Porcupine takes up the charge in his
letters and proves il To be false The
fact however, stands that the charge
was made.
Speaking Of Washington. see that
some of the goody-goOd newspapers OF
the country are very indignant at the
statement in Quackenbo's history that
Washington at one time ate peas with
knife. do not doubt but the state.
ment is true. Tho whole literary United
States at the time OF Washington. how
ever, seemed to be mutual admira.
ton society. and there Is little untayor-
able gossip about the white house din.
ners. found the otner day. however
Maclay's Diary, giving his experience:
during his term as senator of the United
States when Washington was fret presi
dent Maclay dined with Washingtor
/ number of times, aud scattered
through his diary are little bits OF gos
sip about these dinners. At two of then
he describes Washington as amusing
hinself during all the dinner by play
in- the devils tattoo upon the iabl,
with his fork. He SAYS. speaking of on,
| of these dinners: ''The president kept
FORK in hand when the cloth was taken
away. | thought for the purpose of pick
ing nuts He ate no nuts but playe,
with the fork. striking on the edge o
the table with it.